Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp charged with tax evasion

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, was charged on Thursday with two counts
of tax evasion following alleged payments of $295,000 (£180,000) he received
from Portsmouth’s former owner Milan Mandaric.

Case for the defence: Harry Redknapp's solicitor said the Tottenham manager is 'confident of a successful outcome' in relation to tax evasion chargesPhoto: PA

By Jeremy Wilson

9:00AM GMT 15 Jan 2010

It is alleged those payments were made via a Monaco bank account in relation to Redknapp’s employment when he was Portsmouth manager, evading tax and national insurance contributions due between April 1 2002 and Nov 28 2007.

Redknapp, 62, attended Bishopsgate police station to be charged on two counts of cheating the public revenue and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Feb 11.

In a statement, Redknapp’s solicitor, Ian Burton, said the charges related to a disputed tax bill of about £40,000. “Harry has co-operated fully with investigators during the course of this inquiry and is confident of a successful outcome to these court proceedings,” he said.

Tottenham said that the charges did not affect Redknapp’s position as manager and they regarded it as a private, non-football matter which predated his arrival at the club. Redknapp has previously described the action against him as “farcical” and regularly protested his innocence since being first arrested in November 2007.

“This is not a football related matter so I have no intention of letting it distract me at all from what I am doing and intend to do at the club,” Redknapp said. “This all dates back to 2002. It has been going on far too long.

“It is farcical. I have issued a statement. I know I have done nothing wrong.”

Mandaric, who is now the Leicester City chairman, has been jointly charged with Redknapp for the same offences and will also appear in court on Feb 11.

Mandaric said: “I have done nothing wrong and independent tax experts have already confirmed that, in their opinion, there is no tax liability. I am innocent of this allegation.”

A statement from the Crown Prosecution Service at Revenue and Customs said: “The CPS Revenue and Customs Division decided there was sufficient evidence and it was in the public interest to charge Mr Redknapp.”

As a common law offence, there is technically no maximum sentence for the charge.

Peter Storrie, the Portsmouth chief executive, was also charged with tax evasion last November as part of the same investigation, although in relation to a separate matter.

It is alleged that Storrie arranged for a signing-on fee for Amdy Faye to be paid via the bank account of the agent Willie McKay. According to the CPS, the payment was made “in order to conceal its true nature and purpose and thereby evade the payment of Schedule E tax and national insurance contributions by the club”.

The charge against Storrie, therefore, relates to the club’s accounts rather than any accusation of personal gain. McKay and Faye, who have always denied any wrongdoing, have both already been cleared by the investigation and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on their part.

Storrie has vehemently denied the allegation and outlined his “astonishment” at the charge.